Hopper-feed apparatus for metal thread screw blanks and the like



May 26, 1953 v H FRVAY 2,639,445

HOPPER-FEED APP'ARTUS FOR METAL THREAD SCREW BLANKSAND THE LIKE Filed May 26, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l V/'TaAt HILL. ICR/#y May 26, 1953 v. H. FRAY HoPPER-EEED APPARATUS EoR METAL THREAD SCREW BLANKS AND THE LIKE "iled May 26, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

5'. 7,, /ml nll- Patented May 26, 1953 UNITED `STATES PATENT oFFlcE LIKE i Victor Hill Fray, Auckland, Auckland,

New Zealand Application May 26, 1949, Serial No. 95,492 In New Zealand July 26, 1948 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to hopper-feed apparatus whereby metal thread screw blanks and the like are placed intov a hopper and are fed from same in a constant. stream one behind the other in correct position to pass to machines such as thread rollers and screw nickers for receiving thread rolling and nicking treatment therein, the objects of the present invention being the provision of an improved hopper-feed apparatus which will effect its required operation at an increased speed which will render it capable of coping with the improved speed of operation of the thread rolling and screw nicking machines. l

Hopper-feed apparatus for metal thread screw and the like blanks is known and is suitable for use in conjunction with the old slow speed thread rolling and nicking machines, but with improvements in thelatter machines, the known hopperfeed apparatus is now incapable of keeping pace with the other machines and to provide several hoppers in an effort to supply the required feed of the blanks is clumsy, costly and troublesome.

My invention provides a hopper-feed apparatus of an entirely new form which will provide a supply of the screw blanks in excess of the numbers required to be fed to the thread rolling and to the screw nicking machines so that these latter will be kept fully engagedin their operations up to capacity.

Broadly the invention comprises improved hopper-feed apparatus for metal thread screw blanks and the like wherein a rotatable hopper for holding the blanks is provided with means for discharging batches of said blanks therefrom, such vdischarged blanks being deposited on to conveyor means including a traveling band and which present a gap in which the blank Shanks can hang vertically parallel with the nat face of the band suspended with their heads bearing on the edge of the band of the conveyor means, means being provided for receiving the blanks as deposited from the hopper for agitating and spreading same on the conveyor means and means provided for ej ecting blanks when incorrectly carried by the conveyor means.

In describing the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of apparatus embodying the invention with the iront part of the band and the tray broken away to enable the roller behind same to be seen, part of the hopper also being broken away to show a vane or vblade therein,

Figure 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1,

" zontal spindle 2 which is secured to a suitable support 3 extending from a bedplate or frame AII, such hopper I having an opening at its front 5 and a number of longitudinally disposed vanes or blades 6 secured at suitable intervals to its inner periphery (see Figs. l and 3) suitable drive means being applied' for eiiecting rotation of the hopper I as hereinafter referred to.

Two vertical spindles 'I'and 'Ia rigidly secured to the bedplate or frame 4 rotatably carry band wheels 8 and 8a over which an endless conveyor band or belt 9, made of exible ribbon steel or the like, is disposed to travel, the back portion of the band 9 being adapted to travel between the wheel 8 and wheel 8a across the hopper front opening 5 so that such band 9 by having its wide surfaces vertical presents a top conveying edge 9a. v

The spindle I of the band wheel 3 may be disposed within a slotted hole I0 (see Fig.- 1) in the bedplate 4 so as to enable movements of the spindle 'I for tensioning of the band 9, while the band wheel 8a may have means such as a gear wheel II secured thereto for receiving suitable power drive.

Disposed parallel with the band 9 at the portion of same adjacent to the hopper opening 5 there are two rollers I2 and` I2a, the respective spindles I3 and I 3a of which are rotatably carried in pairs of bearings I4 and I5 secured to the bedplate 4, the rollers I2 and I2a being so spaced apart as to present an opening between same which is preferably just a little more than wide enough to permit the heads of the screw or like blanks to pass, the surfaces of the rollers I2 and I2a having preferably helix grooves or the like I 2b formed therein.

The ends of the V'roller spindles I3 and I3a extending beyond the pair of bearings I4 have gear wheels I6 secured thereto (see Fig. 4) and the bearing cover Ila carries two idler pinions substantially on the horizontal centre line be-z-l tween the two rollers I2 and.. I2a.. andthis. band 9 along with a thin but rigidlar.` IBL-substantially.

closes the space between the rollers l2 and IZ'a, this rigid bar I8 being parallel with the band 9 and nearer to the hopper opening'fand being.` rigidly carried as by being secured to the bear ings I4 and I5, such rigid ban IBand. thebandv 9 having a vertical gap I9 between same which is such as to permit the shanks 20a of the screw or like blanks 20 (see Figs. 6 and 7) to pass freely into same with the heads.20b resting on the edge Safoflthe band-9andorifthef'edgerl8a of thefri'gid bar I8, the band 9 and the rigid barl together presenting conveyor zn'eansficr the blanks 2li'.4`

The: rigid bar. ISL' extends beyond thel bearings I4 and I5 and at the end thereof, in the vicinity1 of .the wheei 3; itis. adapted `to carry a band :guide 2I (see Fig. 5), such guide 2I having horizontal bars-21a and-.2#I1b'between-which. the band" 9 travels so as to maintain it in true travelling position on-thewheelsrl andi 8a..

Extending closely along the side of the band 9 opposite to thatof: therigid.y bar` |19 there-'is a rubbing `stripror'bar 22', this-being@ as of 'triangu-lar crosssection (seeFigf. arrdfcarried as by the bearings Muand' IS-Soas topreven't the band 9.' from outwardi spring;v or whip action wherebyit Wou-ldcause thefwidtho the gap Ia to` vary.

A stiffening stripv 3: also of; triangular cross section (seeFi'g. 7) is secured. tothe: rigidabar I8 for av shor-ty portionl of itslength as between; the rollers I2 and laland'the bearings: I5; the rigid bar I Sf'carrying.- on' beyondlthe'- present vappara-tus (if soi'desi-red) tex-formfalongfwith aturther rigid .bar'Ma-chute--of known'v'form for conveyingfthescrew/or*likerblanks to a screw nicking machine or thread:l roller. machine as the'. case may be.

Suitablyrigidly secured' as totherigidbar: I'Bi crfits-stiiening strip '23 andto-the rubbing strip 22- there are-preferably two-blank ejectors (see Figs. 6, 7 and 8) for the removal of blanks which are notv correctly carriedv by' the: bandv 9 and the rigid' bar' I8, these bla-nk electors; 21.5'v and 25a each presenting.- acurvedblade which has a sharpened and-:inclined leading' edgey 25h extending to ay point 25e, the. respective erjectors 25-and 25a being made of rightand left han-d form so that the points 25e willv extendiclosely alongside and downward fromevthe topi edges 9a and I8a onthebanda and rigid: bar- I8a, respectively, while the leading edge 25h will be atsuoh'.

a height above such. top-edges and Illa` as. toA just permit. the heads.20b of.` the. blanks-20. tol

travelV thereunder when. correctly inzplace, are

taining bar 2B.being.secur.ed (ifsodesired.)A close.-` ly above the.band.-9-andl bar I8 (see Fig: 6') soy asto ensure the blanks being retained within the gap I9 after theyl have passed ther ejectors 25 and 2521, up to the time. theyreach the poi-ntl of discharge, such retaining ban 26A being well screwblankslltheseemay bewraneighthof arr inch in size and have very short shanks 20 or have'long shanks, those with short shanks of say quarter of an inch in length being most difcult to dispose within the gap I9, while the blanks with long Shanks are easier to handle in thatsthe'- shanksmore readilytend `:to hang down within the gap I9?.

It has been found that the ejectors 25 and 25a handle the blanks of short length and small size more satisfactorily than the known roller type'.ej'ectors;.the' latter tending to eject quite a number of?. the blanks following one which is incorrectly located, while the present ejectors removefzonly'th'e one defectively placed blank.

Accordingly the improved electors are preferred in. the case of small short length blanks, Buti inthefcase of an apparatus treating large and long shank blanks, the known roller type of" ejector can be readily applied in the known manner.

An inclined hoppen' chute 251' wllilchds rigidly secured tu azsupport -2.-8;secured lto the. bedplate, extends inta the. hopper I f throughthe' open. end 5f thereofA and` tennina-i-es in.. a. position above and inA line withthe space between the rollers I-2 and I-2 a, such `hopper chute 271-- havinga raised edge 21a and--abale plate 2l9- for directing. the blanks` 2-02 towards ythe endef the rollers. I2 and I2anearestvto1the.bearings-I4@ end plates 30a-nd 3I-, whichmay be 'rigidlyf carried.- by the. hopper chute-21,` extending .across .therends-..of.;the rollers I-2- and. I2dfso asl to closethefgapabetween same exceptA iny thecase.A of. the endplate. 3zI which. leaves a sufficient space 32' (see Fig. 3) between the bottomedge of same andthe top edges: 9a and. Ia of the band 9 and; the. rigidffbary I8f-to permit the heads Zlibof the. blanks-20 to pass.

Any` suitable power. drive.. may be. applied for givingsimultaneaous drive .tothe `hopperl I, band: 9.androllers I2 and. I2a, oneI drive of. suitable form. comprisingthe .provision of. a vertical. driving. shaft. 313.A rotatably mounted.- to.. the-bedplate 4 andhaving a.. pinion. 34. in.. mesh withthe. gear. wheel. I I offthe band wheel. 8a, such .vertical driving.. 'shaftY 33- also. carrying adriving.. pulley. 35 for receiving suitable belt. drive-anda skew gear.

36l inmesh. with asimilar gear. 3T. on. a. counter-- shaft; 38. which is suitably. carried.. inY bearingS 39. disposedunder the. bedplate 4, the. (neunten--l shaft 38 having a pulley 40 over whichv a belt-` 4If. passes through.. a, hole.. in the bedplate 4.to over. a pulley 42.. secured.v on oneV of.- the` roller shafts I3..

For. impartingdrive to the hopper I,.the.band.

wheel 8m may carry a bevel. pinion. 43. which.

meshes. with. a. similarV pinionmV secured toy acountershaft. 45 which mounted in bearingsA 46. extend-ingfu-pfrom the bedplate. 4, thisfcountershalt 45. having. a pulley 41 secured-thereto..

wherebyl a. belt 48. can pass-overv same .andover the hopper. I

Asuitable tray 49 is .secured to thebedplate4- andisinclined. down to have its lip MaeXteliding. into` the lower portionofv the openendi ofthe,`

hopper: I, the. frontend of .the tray 49 being-:suitably shapecl to act as a-=guardv50i-over the front.,

portion. otheband SL.

It -will be notedthatno. legsare shownfas .-giv

ingsupport to the bedplate 4Y andapparatusatwith or attached tozthe. bedplateontheimachine lto which the blanks are fed and the power drive for the hopper-feed apparatus obtained from such screw nicker or thread rolling machine.

Furthermore, lthe hopper-feed apparatus may be in an elevated position in relation tothe screw nicker or thread roller apparatus and does not necessarily operate in the truly horizontal position as shown in Fig. 1but may be inclined at an angle down towards the wheel 8a and the-discharge point at the right of the machineso that gravity will assist the conveyor action of the band 9 in conveying the blanks 20. It was originally proposed to have two travelling bands 9 with their respertive wheels 8 and 8a, one o such bands taking the place of the present rigid bar I8, it being also originally pro-V posed to pass the adjacent portions of the two bands through the centre of the hopper which had openings at both ends.

It has been found in actual practice that one travelling band 9 operates more satisfactorily than two bands in that the blanks tend to settle into position in the gap I9 more quickly and that the ladditional mechanism for two travelling bands was not warranted, it having also been found that vby passing the bands through the hopper I, the main working portion of the apparatus became too inaccessible.

In .use or operation, the machine is set in motion so that the drive causes the hopper I to rotate Ain the direction as indicated by the arrow in Fig. l, the rollers I2 and I2a are rotated outwardly as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4 and the band wheels 8 and 8a Iare rotated clockwise as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, the blanks 29 to be hopper fed being deposited into the tray 49 over the guard portion 50 of the latter, such blanks 20 sliding down the tray 49 into the hopper I.

The rotation of the hopper I causes its vanes or blades 6 to pass through the bulk of the blanks 2D and to carry quantities or batches of same upward until they roll orf such vanes 6, the falling blanks 2U dropping on to the hopper chute 2'I down which they slide to be directed by the raised edge 21a and the baliie plate 29 into the space between the rollers I2 and I2a and also on to the top edges 9a and I8a of the band 9 and the rigid bar I8 between such rollers I2 and I2a.

The blanks 2G fallin heaps or batches at short intervals and because of the outwardly rotating rollers I2 and I2a, are spread about between the end plates 3f! and 3l so that in the main, the shanks of the blanks 20 enter the gap I9 and the heads 2th rest on the edges 9a and I8a to travel along the gap I9 through the space 32 below the end plate 3 I.

The action of the rollers I2 and IZa is also such as to agitate and move about the blanks 20, the helix grooves IZb in such rollers I2 and I2a catching the corners of the heads or Shanks of the blanks and in the event of a blank of a larger size than those being treated getting into the apparatus, it will get thrown out by the rotating rollers as being unable to pass between same because of its head being too large in size.

The main bulk of the blanks very quickly assume correct position in the gap I9 and are caused to travel because of the movement of the band 9 assisted by gravity in the event the apparatus is inclined, but on occasion when handling very small and short blanks, one will come to rest across the gap I9 on top of the top edges 9a and I8a.

To assume such an incorrect position, the

6. shank ofthe blank must extend outwardly beyond either the band 9 or the rigid bar'. I8, in that in any other position its shank could drop down into the gap I9.

Accordingly, with the shank of the blank extending out beyond the band 9, it would encounter the vinclined leading edge 25h of the ejector 25 and this would cause such blank to be moved sideways so as to roll over the rigid bar I8 and to Adrop into the tray lle to again pass -loack to the hopper I.

lThel incorrectly placed blank may Zhave its shank extending towards the rigid bar I8 side of the gap I9, in which case it may pass the ejector 25 to then encounter the ejector 25a and be removed thereby. i vThe blanks 20 within the gap I9 having passed the two ejectors 25 and 25a then travel along the conveyor and pass off the band 9, they being then supported by some additional mechanism, such as the rigid bar I8 or an extension thereof and the further vrigid bar 24 which convey the blanks .as by gravity plus the weight of blanks 'behind to the screw nieker or thread rolling machine.

I claim:

1. Improved hopper-feed apparatus for headed metal thread screw blanks and the like wherein a hopper for holding the blanks is provided with means for discharging said blanks therefrom,

such discharged blanks being deposited onto conveyor means formed in part by a traveling band and which presents a gap in which gap the blank Shanks can hang vertically parallel with the adjacent face of the band suspended with their heads bearing on the conveyor means, means for ejecting blanks when incorrectly carried by the conveyor means, and means for receiving the blanks as deposited from the hopper and agitating and spreading same on the conveyor means comprising a pair of rotatably mounted power driven rollers disposed parallel with the conveyor means and having a space between same the bottom of which is closed by such conveyor means, the surfaces of such rollers having helix grooves or the like formed therein and rigidly mounted end plates extending across the ends of the rollers to close the gaps between same except for a space between the bottom edge of one end plate and the top of the conveyor means.

2. Improved hopper-feed apparatus for metal thread screw blanks and the like comprising a hopper of cylindrical drum form rotatably mounted on a horizontal spindle secured to a support extending from a bedplate or frame, an open front to said hopper and vanes or blades on the inner periphery of said hopper, two vertical spindles secured to the bedplate with band wheels rotatable thereon on which an endless conveyor band travels, a rigidly supported guide for such band, a rigid bar disposed parallel with the portion of band adjacent to the open front of the hopper with a gap between such rigid bar and the band, two rotatably mounted rollers disposed parallel to the rigid bar and band with a space between which is closed by said rigid bar and band, a rigid rubbing strip for the band and a stiffening strip for the rigid bar, a rigidly mounted hopper chute extending into the hopper through the open end thereof to terminate in a position above the rollers, rigidly supported end plates extending across the ends of the rollers, rigidly supported blank ejectors disposed over the rigid bar and band, tray means with a lip extending into the open end of the hopper and ptiwer'diivesmeans ffo' siizmltazmeous rotationioff tnethoppeit, the rollers and the' band Wheelss,

3. A feeding apparatus for headed'screw'bianks andN the;2 like: comprising: am en'diess: bami.Y the Width: ofi which: is greater.' than the* thickness thereof, t. spaced?? bandi wheel-fsf rotatably support-iedzwithztheirraxes'.disposedmertieaiiy and having the'. said?. bands' extending.' tiieifeabout fon,v driving theizeby, amgudefmember'extending along aV por'- tion of said band in horizontally spac'ec':1e1atieu'1, shimthereto therebypmwiding anelongated; gap therebetweeniwith :the surface" oft sact banctlc'ors responding tow the width tiiereof comprising a vertically: disposedi side ofi said". gap; the f distancia between guide member andbandf being. less than? thef tiransverse; dimensioni of the: headsof the bianksf'and fer-.eaten than the-titansverse di-zmezisionfof the shankstheieoff; meansfon supply'd ing.; bianks: tos .saifd gap inl oriented. condition so` 20' tha-t2-ttie:-shanls-of. the blamksferiter' 'said gap A andv the' headsfof such blanks ae'supportedon the Lippert edgeof said.: band. vtifi theshanks: prei vented from appreeiabietiitmgtransverse off said gap by the said surface of the band and saidtg'uide member, and means to rotate at least- :mev of said. bandi'. Wheels thereby! causing the blanks to beffe@ through" said i gapf'in single filezoiderf with their heads-:uppermost's:

4s: A-feedinglapparatus for headed screw blanks and-the likeY comprising; as cylindrical drinn-type hoppenmounted for rotation-about a horizontal axis; aniendiessbana-.paizz ofrband Whee'ls tti-- tatabiy?supportedwithftheir axesextending verti- @any an'dam horizontal@ spaceemfelationshpiwith the. said: band extending: about said: wheels for driving'itherebyga guidemember; extendirrgfa-J'rrg ai. portion ofi sami band in horizontally' spaced reiationship thereto thereby' providing: an. elotrgatedf gap-therebetween with the face o'fl said band corresponding to the" width the'reo'f comprisiix'ga" veirti'ca-iiy disposed!v side of's'aidlg'ap; a pair' of elzzargatte roi-1ers' rotatably supported above-L said, ganz with: tieirf axes extedi'ng. subst-'a'ifltiallqy` iorizotaily and; spaced. to i. provide an elongated openingr between. the: rollers vsubsumtaiiy: ai'g'nezi; withY sad geen; amhutel extending tmmzztheff discharge of saidvhoppef to a location above'saidmoiiers, ,anaimeans to .rotate said' ro11- eTsxBandiwrreelss an'dghopper; whereby' blanks in the hopper are:deliveredlthefefromlby'said chute toI saidtriouers and are; deposited by the latter in said gap in oriented conditi'ri'lWithtesl'anks of; the; blanks extendngtherem and with the heas of; theA bist-niss resting' upon; saidk band whereuponzttlle'oriented i banks'- are tamed: along' sai gapiinlsingre iezo'ffifrbyi-sald band.

VICTOR HILL FRAY.'

References Cited in thele'ofthispatent UNITED STATES-PATENTS Nmb'erf Name- Date 

